My name is Jennifer and I live in Portland, OR. This is my the story of my journey restoring a 1972 Triumph Bonneville, which was given to me as a basketcase from my father.
The Bonneville Experiment
The Chronicles of a 1972 Triumph T120V Restoration
Dig the Bike…Dig the Project…Dig the Builder!
Cool project!! Good luck Jennifer!!
Jennifer: We’ve never met, but I can tell you that I’m an old motorcycle mechanic with a lot of experience under my belt {I did a BMW /6 engine conversion in a /2 running gear that lives in Ben Lomond). I’d suggest that you consider rebuilding the engine stock with the minimum of work and expense required to get it up and running, and expend all your efforts on the running gear and sheet metal. Once you’re happy with that, you’ll have something to ride and enjoy and then you might look for a complete T140 engine to cannibalize (might be cheaper than the parts). Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to do a modification that takes a lot of time and money and running out of patience. Either way I wish you luck. And whatever you decide do lots of research. Happy riding and wrenching, Michael (I ride a T140J, although I’m not particularly a British bike mechanic.)
Thanks, Michael! I’m keeping my options open, but it looks like this has been done with relative ease and cost. I have a feeling something will come up that makes sense, either way. Luckily for me, I have some connections to the people who will know how to do the engine correctly whether it’s a 650 or 750.
Just finished my 72 Bonnie rebuild. Go to http://geordiebiker.blogspot.com/ for brief story. Love your detailed posts !